Heartless
by Dis Kid
Summary: Eggs and Winnie discover that there is another who was raised by creatures instead of humans, but he turns out to be far different than what the rumors made him out to be. No one is prepared for the wrath brought on by what was assumed to be a mere child. Can he change or will he stay a monster for as long as he breathes? rated T for future violence and language, please review!
1. Chapter 1

Everyone could only celebrate. Snatcher was gone, they knew the truth about the boxtrolls and they now had a new addition to their family, Eggs. Well, he actually came with quite a few additions but most were still rather uncomfortable with them. Yes, everyone appreciated their genius and skill in engineering and whatnot, but it was still hard to get use to the idea that those so called monsters of the night we actually very friendly and would never do you any harm. Some were still very frightened of the trolls but it was okay, because others were confident they'd come around soon enough. Finally, after who knew how long, the people of Cheesebridge decided to expand their contact and go much further with trade and even started allowing foreigners inside! Before they were cautious and stubborn but they saw this is age as an opportunity to take risks. Eggs was proud of them, as was Winnie. New children came through, funny old men who had great stories to tell along with gifts like strange trinkets and toys. Everyone was happier now. Some wondered if they could really stay this way, what with others slowly retreating back into their homes, almost as if they'd become overwhelmed. It was a lot to get use to but they were an outgoing city, at least that's what they convinced themselves.

On this particular morning Winnie was going out for very important business. A school had opened up near the end of last year, a newer concept to the city. Other places had apparently had schools for a very long time but here everyone was tutored at home and simply knew things. But, determined to keep up with the rest of the world they waited for the right time to let everyone in. Picking staff was hard, she had heard, but they were confident they had a good one. Walking along the road, avoiding the horses and carriages that clogged the streets, mostly from foreigners, she spotted a familiar face. Now all dressed up and clean, like a proper boy, Eggs had been making his rounds.

"Eggs? Why are you still here? Don't you want to try out the school?" She asked him.

"Uh, well, as much as I'd like to I still have things to do around here. I can't really just drop everything and go." He said sadly. She smiled.

"Of course you can! I'm sure someone wouldn't mind helping you out while you're away. After all, education is the most important thing for us young folks." He pondered for a moment, pulling strange faces and making sounds. Moments later he nodded, handing his clipboard to Fish.

"You're right. Fish, please take over for me for now, I have to go." Winnie smiled victoriously and pulled his arm along with her.

"Come on, we mustn't be late! It's the first day!" They stopped in front of a large building that toward over the nearby houses.

"Whoa.." They said in unison. Around there were children clinging to their guardians, begging them not to go. They were scared and it was understandable, but Winnie was sure it would be fun, especially if all the stories the other children from out of town told her about schools were true.

"How do we do this? Do we just walk in?" Eggs asked nervously.

"Yes. There should be some sort of list in there to tell us where we go. They walked in and sure enough there was a giant wall painted with names and numbers, instructing children what to do. Winnie ran straight up to it.

"They've sorted us through age..." Eggs stared at the words. Some of these he couldn't read, having never seen them before.

"Oh, I think We're in the same room! They've given us our first class and then we get personal instructions from there." Children of all sizes and ages stared at the board and separated, some going upstairs, some going down, some staying on the same floor, and some simply leaving, feeling that it was already too difficult. Eggs and Winnie were at the very top of the floors. The classroom was dark and dank, cheap old chairs situated around an old table. They sat together and waited for their teacher. There were six other children in the room. One had dark greasy hair and tanned skin, he looked dirty and his clothing were ripped and worn. Winnie suspected they had never been washed. Two girls were twins, very short with fair skin and light brown hair with pink little dresses. They were leaning as far away from the boy as they could. One boy was short and blond, wearing something akin to a blue sailor uniform. Anther was sleeping, his dirty red hair puffed up to impossible heights, extremely thin and tall. The last girl was very thick with a lilac dress. Her hair was dark brown and her cheeks were so full you could barely see her eyes open. It was an odd group but what you got was what you got. Then the teacher came in. She was a short old woman with white hair pulled back into a bun and a dark brown dress. Her back was hunched and she took tiny quick steps.

"Okay class," she said, her voice worn and old. "Today I have a special announcement. The school board started this year completely unprepared. We only received one topic to talk about in our classes, not much we can do with that. Our topic is more hands on. Because we were given no materials, we will be taking a field trip. Consider yourselves lucky, the first day and you're already getting a break. As it turns out this lesson was inspired by our recent turn of events in this city. Yes, I'm talking about the issue with the boxtrolls and the boy." If anyone had been dozing off they were suddenly very awake. Every child in Cheesebridge wanted to know more about the story, and now they were getting a field trip based off of it.

"In a place not too far from here there seemed to be a similar situation. Not with boxtrolls per say, but with another creature. They called them mimics, very dangerous. At least they have no misunderstandings. These creatures are dangerous and are very untrusting towards other races, towards outsiders, like us. They live in the forest and in the caves of Juntin. They say these beasts will pray on any living creature that dwells too close to it's home, so keep your distance. They too have picked up a human child some years ago." Eggs perked up, staring at the old woman, eyes almost challenging her. He didn't believe it, could there be more like him?

"The beasts have been rather friendly since the people fought back, taking prisoners and offing them. They're trying to make a treaty but their leader won't allow it. Now the boy is said to be the most sad creature they've ever looked upon. Starved, injured, missing limbs, long matted hair. This child was not cared for, not like these monsters could! The townspeople have managed to rescue the boy but have been unable to tame him thus far. We are going to take a look at what they can offer us and study his trauma." she paused.

"Perhaps we can make a few comparisons between him and you, Eggs." Everyone turned their attention to Eggs and Winnie. He sunk back into his seat, nervous to have everyone's eyes so suddenly on him. Then they spilled out of the room following their new teacher.

Later that day everyone came back with suitcases of things prepared for the trip. The ride would take an hour and a half to get across the water to the city but they were willing to wait. Everyone fell asleep as soon as the boat started to float away anyway, having rather not staying awake the whole ride. When everyone was woken up by the teacher, whose name they learned was Mrs. Frink, they stared in awe at the mass coming up from behind the fog. A small city, not build up on a large hill like Cheesebridge, but staying flat on even ground. The boat stopped and the class entered the city. Much to their surprise, it was disgusting. The houses were mostly broken and it was infested with bugs and rats. There seemed to be a deathly still person laying in every dark place, possibly dead.

"I think I'd be thankful if monsters stole me from a place like this." Winnie shivered, Eggs nodding his head in agreement. Mrs. Frink told them to wait outside of a small slightly more stable looking place while she spoke to the mayor of the city. Shadows from every part of the town grew as if they were getting closer, dark figures stretching across a dirt road. The children huddled together, shaking wildly. Field trips were suppose to be fun but they had yet to experience anything other than fear and disgust. Suddenly the shadows retreated, much to their relief, as the old woman came back out, a plump man following. He faced the group and sighed, not even trying for a smile.

"Good evening, youngsters. I am the mayor of this fine city and I welcome you to this magnificent place." His voice was flat and monotone, a little high for most men in Cheesebridge, but then again it wasn't Cheesebridge, it was Juntin.

"Mr. Grump has given us permission to see the boy they rescued from the monsters. Thank him, children." Everyone let out a quick thanks and followed Mrs. Frink down a little ways. There was a staircase that swirled underground, heavily guarded by armed men with biceps bigger than Winnie's head. They were lead deep under the city to a series of metal hallways. They walked and walked and walked until there was finally a door. It was big, red lights surrounded it and there were cautions and keep out signs strapped to it. Eggs stared in confusion. If this boy was innocent and rescued, why did they hide him in such a place like he was some sort of criminal? The doors were slowly pulled open, darkness filling their visions. Literally, it was nothing but darkness. There was no lights in the room and it was deathly silent. One could faintly see an outline of a giant cage and the soft snoring of a living being. Mrs. Frink was handed a lantern by one of the guards. The cage could be clearly made out now. It was enormous, so much so that you couldn't see the top or back of it, though the bottom hung near Winnie's waist. The children squinted and urged their teacher to hold the lantern closer. Several minutes had gone by and there was nothing, even the snoring stopped. Mrs. Frink handed the lantern to Eggs and began mentioning some things she found out while speaking to the mayor about the boy.

"He's in this cage, not as punishment, but so the monsters cannot find him. Once they have a scent they never let it go so this ended up being the safest option for his well being." She continued to ramble on, having drawn the attention of all but one student. Eggs ignored her as he pressed the lantern right to the cage and peered in, hoping to see something. A figured moved somewhere too far back for details, but it was enough to send a shiver down Eggs's back. Still, he stared, unable to look away as it inched closer. The first cleanly visible thing was a hand that stuck out toward the light. The skin was pale and the nails grew long and were sharpened to a point, like a poor attempt at acquiring claws. More of the boy was slowly being revealed. His arm had scars, looking like a creature with knives for fingers had grabbed at him multiple times throughout his life. They wrapped around the thin limbs, a clear thumb nail joining the marks. Suddenly there was cloth, white and folded. It was smudged with lots of dirt and there was a bit of dried blood.

"Eggs, what are you doing?" He jumped as Winnie came up next to him to look into the cage, but the arm had retreated back into the darkness.

"I was trying to get a look but I don't see anything." He lied.

"Right, well, according to Mrs, Frink we're staying at an Inn tonight and tomorrow night. I'm sure we'll be back here, maybe we'll get to see something next time." Eggs nodded and followed the rest of the class out of the door and back up to the fresh air. He hoped he could get the boy to come out completely next time. He didn't even remember climbing up three flights of stairs and crawling into a horribly uncomfortable bed, or falling asleep while the greasy haired boy squawked and chased a terrified blond boy around the room.

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><p>AN: UUHHHHHH So I literally just finished watching this movie in theaters. Seriously love everything Laika does. I immediately thought this out, actually I thought it out about half way through the movie, and I decided that this time I'm actually going to write it down. I was horrified by how little fanfictions exist of this, especially since Raise of the Guardians had fanfictions from people admitting that they haven't even seen the movie O_O So, I hope the few of you out there actually want me to continue because this is the first story I've posted so far. I will most likely go back to fix this first chapter at some point in the future but for now I'll just keep adding until it's all done! Any reviews will be greatly appreciated!<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Eggs wasn't sure how it happened but he found himself in front of the cage again. There didn't seem to be anyone else around. '_Is it still night?'_ He questioned silently. There were no lights, no lantern and the doors were closed so even the red lights just outside could provide no help. Something in the cage moved, startling Eggs who tried to hide. It was a habit he hadn't quite dropped. Quickly, he popped back up and cleared his throat.

"Hello?" He called. Faintly a figure came into view. It was bone thin, crawling like an ape on skinny arms. It stood on wobbly legs and Eggs's eyes widened. A pale boy stood before him, covered heavily in scars. His hair was long and black, hanging past his waist in matted clumps. One eye looked pale and lifeless, like he was blind, and the other had been sewn shut. There was a lot of scar tissue, he figured the boy had lost it thanks to whatever made the rest of the scars. The boy fell to his knees, unable to keep himself up, the clawed hand shooting out and gripping Eggs's sleeve. The hold was weak and fragile.

A small plea fell from his lips. "Please... let me out..." Eggs nodded and ran as fast as he could to the back of the cage a large door was sealed shut by five locks. He panicked and searched desperately for the keys. A glimmer caught his eye. There was a glowing board on the wall that required a large key. They must have been in there but he couldn't open it.

_'Pick it, boy!'_ A voice hissed in the back of his mind. No, he hadn't brought anything that could aid him in this task. His mind suddenly stopped thinking and noticed that all noise had gone. He could no longer see anything, no outlines and could hear no breathing. From the darkness a quiet hissing sound began picking up volume, eventually joined by growls and snarls. They got louder and louder. Eggs covered his ears and backed up, hitting a wall and pressing himself against it. He'd grown very use to the troll language over his lifetime, which consisted mostly of growls and snarls, the occasional hissing, but this was different. It was much deeper and more animal-like. He couldn't understand any of it but they sounded angry. It started hurting and he couldn't hear himself scream.

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><p>"Please wake up, Mr Eggs, it's morning." Eggs shot up into a sitting position, smacking his head right into the blond boy's. They both fell and groaned in pain, waking the red head and the greasy boy.<p>

"Too early, need more rest." stated the redhead. He laid back down and began snoring immediately.

"I've woken him three times already, I'm starting to worry..." the blond stuttered. There was a loud knock on the door.

"Come on, boys, we have to meet Mrs. Frink outside. Now!" Winnie's voice woke everyone but this time the stayed up. Mrs. Frink had an irritated look on her face when they arrived.

"We've taken to long just getting you out of your rooms, we must leave at once." They hurried to the Mayor's office, avoiding the plump rats in the road. This time it seemed he had something set up. Little crudely put together booklets with badly drown monsters surrounding a sick baby on the cover were given to each student. Winnie and Eggs cringed as they looked through the pictures. It was nothing but shadowed illustrations of beast tormenting the city and the assumed cycle of the boy's upraising. He was stolen from his home as a toddler and forced to learn the ways of a mimic. This included eating mostly human hearts and eyes while stealing anything that shined. It showed people making deals with them to kill their enemies. Eggs closed his book with a frown while Winnie stared at the pages, contemplating on whether or not she should believe it or if they were more lies like the boxtroll rumors.

They were given the option of going to see the boy again or looking at mimic footprints. The twins and chubby girl didn't want to go back down to the cage, thinking it was scary but boys were boys and Winnie was Winnie, so their votes won. Down the spiral staircase they walked and into the dark eerie silence once again. The girls stuck close to Mrs. Frink and to the light of the lantern. Once they were there attention was called to Mrs. Frink immediately and she instructed them to open their books and listen. Eggs had too much on his mind to do so. Instead he sneaked away and around the side, keeping a careful eye on the cage. He'd admit that it frightened him, someone being in there and having the potential to reach out and scare him to death at any time. The light was fading as he went further back away from the others and struggled to keep himself from stumbling. He reached the back and sighed in relief at the lack of a following presence. The nightmare had a permanent image in his head of what the boy looked like and it was something he wasn't prepared to see in real life yet.

To Eggs's surprise there was a door sealed with five locks and a board on the wall sealed with one, just like the dream. Pulling multiple small tools out of his jacket he began to sweat. Picking locks and stealing keys to release a stranger from a heavily guarded prison cell, Fish would be horrified with how Eggs was developing. Shoe probably wouldn't be too surprised but he also had much lower standards. The lock clicked open and was shoved into Eggs's pocket. Sure enough there was a keyring carrying only five keys. The accuracy of the dream was startling. He hesitated before grabbing the set and carefully closing the board and replacing the lock, as if it never happened. Turning to the cage he smiled nervously.

"Hello?" He whispered, hoping to get the attention of the boy. There was some shifting before a dark figure stood before him, but it was too dark to see what he looked like. Eggs cursed in his head. He can't let the other out, it's for his own safety, even if it looks horrible. Yes, it's a giant metal cage sitting in the dark and guarded by monsterously muscled men, but it was to keep the beasts out... right?

_'No,"_ Hissed a familiar voice in his head _'It's all to keep the child in. Why would they need to do this?'_ He thought about it. The voice was right. They knew something about the boy that he didn't, in fact they knew a lot more, so he should let them make the calls.

_'They are going to kill him. They think he's one of them!'_ It continued urgently. Well that changed everything. Eggs wasn't one to argue with his conscious, even if the decision was a tricky one. After unlocking the door what would he even do? Surely they won't let the class just walk out with him, they'd definitely notice! A soft tapping noise drew his attention to the cage. The boy was tapping on the lock. He stuck his arm through the bars and offered something. It was a gear, and from what Eggs's could see it wasn't copper, it was gold. The hand shifted for a handshake. He wanted to make a deal. The gold gear for freedom. Another glance at the gear and he'd decided. For someone raised by simple engineers, it was a sign of great respect and a rare find yet the other was willing to give it up. He shook the hand, which was much colder and stronger than he thought it would be, and pocketed the gear.

Climbing the cage to the first lock was a challenge, it was pretty high. Relieved to find it wasn't rusted enough to squeak he continued until the very last one. Looking back to the boy he flashed a hopeful smile. The last lock clicked and the room went silent.

"Where's Eggs?" He heard Mrs. Frink ask. Quickly and quietly he ran back and sneaked just behind Winnie.

"Ah, there you are! I thought you'd run off for a moment I would've turned livid." She let out a nervous chuckle and lead the class out of the room. Eggs shot a worried glance at the cage as the large metal doors were sealed shut again.

* * *

><p>All day he couldn't get it out of his head. He'd unlocked everything but had to leave immediately. What else did he expect? More time couldn't change the fact that the other still couldn't walk through those doors with everyone.<p>

"Eggs?" Winnie stepped back as he let out a yelp of surprise. "Are you okay? You've been staring at that beetle for a while now.." Sure enough there was a dead beetle turned over on the table in front of Eggs. He sighed. Could he really tell her what he did? He could trust her, right?

"I opened it." His mouth moved without the consent of his brain.

"What?" She asked

"I.." letting out another sigh he turned to face here, looking deep into her eyes. "I opened to door. I let him out." Her eyes widened in horror and fascination. "Don't tell anyone!" He quickly added.

"Is he here?" She looked around and under the table for something out of place but could find nothing.

"No. I mean, I opened the door but I didn't exactly think about how we'd get him out. He's still there." He pulled a deep frown. Opening the door might have been a waste of time. He just wanted the boy to have freedom. It would have been nice if they could have been friends but it didn't look possible anymore. They sat in silence and pondered their next move. There was still a day left. Maybe they could bring some sort of disguise next time. The day was spent on plans ruled out one after another until they finally accepted that it couldn't be done. They both had trouble sleeping that night, knowing that a boy, an innocent human being like themselves, would spend forever in a cage in a room that rarely saw light. A miserable and pointless existence was the only future ahead for him and it wasn't fair. But what could they do?

* * *

><p>Everyone woke up on their own in the morning, some hours before others. Eggs only ended getting a single hour of sleep before the loudness of his roommates woke him up.<p>

"Henry, you've gotta hold him up higher or this won't work!" The redhead, Henry, was holding the small blond boy high in the air, nearly touching the ceiling while the tan boy stood on the bed and tied a rope to a loose beam, the other end tied around the blond's middle.

"Shut up, Dick, he's high enough." The other snapped. Henry had bags under his eyes as if the sleep he got, which was a lot, wasn't enough. Eggs suspected he needed at least two days for a full rest. The rope was given a final tug and Dick nodded at Henry, who in turn lowered the blond so he was hanging in mid air. They laughed and the blond squirmed.

"This isn't amusing in the slightest! Let me down!" He yelled. The other two looked at each other before smiling and shaking their heads. They continued to snicker as they walked out of the door and left. Eggs sighed and walked over to the human decoration.

"At least this is the last day you have to spend with them." He tried to reason. The blond shook his head.

"They live on either side of me. When we leave this place they will simply go back to throwing cheese at my bedroom window and stomping all over mother's garden. She always blames me I'll have you know!" He frowned. "They cover their fingers in saliva and stick them in my ears. They even made a 'charity' for all the bullies to join in on. 'Wet Willies for Willy', what a horrid name. Because of them everyone calls me Willy! I hate that name, I just want to be called William!" Eggs looked at the other sympathetically. He didn't have any bullies but he imagined it was terrible. He helped William down and they walked downstairs together, formerly introducing themselves. William was from a wealthy family of musicians who expected him to follow suit, which he planned to. Currently he played the violin and cello and was excited to start his piano lessons soon. When they joined the others outside with Mrs. Frink she looked at them sadly.

"Class, I'm afraid we must leave early. There has been a city crisis and they think it would be safer if we went back. Please go get your things." Everyone groaned and went back to their rooms to pack. Eggs's mind was racing. City Crisis? Does it have something to do with the boy? Did they find out? Did he escape somehow? There were too many questions unanswered and it made him extremely nervous. His hands were shaking and he hoped no one would notice. Everyone boarded the boat once again and found it was too early to sleep, except for Henry who had no issues, so they took to antagonizing each other instead and driving Mrs. Frink crazy.

* * *

><p>It had been three days since the trip and Eggs and Winnie had been too busy with other things to dwell on the mysterious boy they'd almost released. As it turned out school made working and hobbies a lot hard to enjoy. There was work, a lot of work, especially since the school straightened some things out and there was no more fun. The children went home tired and fussy and complained more than their parents did. Eggs nearly collapsed when he came home, earning a worried look from Fish. Even if he'd found his real father it could never undo the bond they shared. Sometimes it got awkward between him and Herbert but never with Fish.<p>

"Sorry. It's just been a long day." He said into a pillow. Fish responded in what sounded like gibberish and Eggs nodded in agreement. He too thought the school should be shorter if only to give everyone a break. The rest of the day dragged on too slowly convincing Eggs to sleep early. He wasn't the only one either. Winnie decided to do the same. She got ready for the night and sat down on the bed with a glass of water while reading a book. It was her favorite and she'd read it a hundred times by now but it would never stop her from reading it again. When the sky went dark she closed the book and set it on the bedside table next to her half full glass.

No one dreamed that night and everyone slept restlessly. They felt like they were being watched and the feeling of anxiety kept them turning. In the morning complaints could be heard all over about certain things going missing. For Winnie it looked like someone had snuck in through the window and drank her water which she found strange. The only clue left behind was a small silver gear in it's place. But who would steal water and leave silver? She'd consult Eggs. It could have been a boxtroll, after all it was a little silly and they were rather strange. Harmless but very strange indeed.

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><p>AN: LOOK AT THAT ANOTHER CHAPTER! I thought I'd get it out yesterday but I had no time and school is a time consuming thing. Sorry about the bad writing I haven't edited anything. I will someday though. I'd like to thank everyone reading this story because you're awesome. I know there are only so many of you but I'd really love to hear some feedback from you! Critic, random comments, suggestions, stuff like that! I'd like to thank my first reviewer for making my day. Seeing positive feedback so far really makes this more fun o3o<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

The first sign of bad luck was when Mrs. Frink went crazy. She insisted that there was a man who lived under her bed and dwelled in the darkest parts of her home, remaining unseen but making his presence known through his voice and movements. There was no denying that he was there, you could tell his exact position but it was always too dark to see his features. She said he kept pulling her clocks apart and ate every speck of food she brought home except for cheese which he hated and criticized her for eating. The detail she went into when trying to describe every aspect of him was startling. You'd think she'd imagined him forever but it was only a week. She was locked away in a mad house.

When children began telling their parents about a similar friend, one who stayed in the shadows and hated cheese, people started getting concerned. They blamed in on Mrs. Frink's insane ramblings and how they felt horrible for letting her around their poor impressionable children. But it was being taken too far when food began mysteriously disappearing from the kitchens and pantries of wealthy families.

Mr. Debrum was the most nosy and angry of citizens in Cheesebridge. "Hear them Lullel girls been squawkin' bout that damn shadow boy. Lil' trickster'll be goin' straight ta Hell when I'm through with 'im."

Ms. Delphine had only sympathy for young unruly kids. "Oh no, he ain't doing this outta spite, can't be a bad kid, just needs a bit o love. I'm betting his parents must be right mean now for a boy to act out like this. Just needs to be reminded that people care is all."

There was also a young beginning lawyer who took his job into everything. "I can't imagine the charges that boy will have against him. He's breaking into people's homes and stealing their food, psychologically torturing a woman into madness, simply wearing down the good folks of this city! Maybe he's just got something wrong with his head. In that case I'd have to suggest we find him some help instead of imprisonment. Punishment only makes these types of people worse, you know!"

Even through all of the banter only one person was really starting to understand what was going on. Eggs had searched frantically but nowhere could he find him. He even left his window open with lots of food set up on a table and _still_ there was no sign of him. It was almost as if the boy was avoiding Eggs, like he just didn't want to bother him. He sighed and shook his head. It was ridiculous how hard he was trying to get robbed for one simple look, for a word, for anything. He just needed to see if it was all true. There was a knock on his door and it was immediately opened by Fish.

He grumbled something about his jar of nails being emptied and stolen. The jar, not the nails. Eggs groaned. Fish lived in the same house and even he was getting more visits! The troll gestured to the necklace Eggs was wearing. He'd never seen it before but it must have been rather important.

"This?" Eggs lifted the gold object into sight. "It was given to me by... by a friend.. well, I hope we're friends but I haven't seen him since he gave it to me." He stated quietly and he gazed at the shiny gold gear between his fingers. He had put it on a string and wore it as a necklace since that night back in Juntin. Fish smiled and nodded. He gestured to the night sky and told Eggs to go to bed. They were all nocturnal before, some boxtrolls still were, but for the most part they had gotten use to the day time and now shared a human schedule. They still liked to sleep in a neat stack and saw no reason to give up on that. But Eggs didn't. He had a normal bed now but sometimes he'd go down there and join them once more. This was not going to be one of those nights. He had too much on his mind. He said goodnight to Fish and waited until the door closed before he got up and went over to the window. Looking out you could see the lights of the houses go out as they all went to sleep. Soon there was no one left up and he decided to followed suit. Leaving the window open again he turned away to go to bed, completely missing the shadow now creeping along the building rooftops. Eggs took off the necklace and laid down, giving the gear one last glance before closing his eyes.

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><p><em>'These fools know naught what horrors await them. How can they sleep so willingly, so peacefully knowing there is one who sneaks into their rooms while they are most vulnerable?'<em> A small voice hissed into the mind of a pale boy.

"There are no horrors awaiting them, you idiot. I don't want to hurt anyone. I just want their stuff and feel they should share with those less fortunate, like myself." He answered casually. He was use to them speaking inside his head instead of out loud. They could whisper in his head but they couldn't out loud. Instead it becomes huge and booming in the ears of everyone around, like some divine being was speaking to them from beyond the veil. The boy took out flat knife, thin as paper. He slipped the tool between the crack of a closed window and pulled it to the side, forcing the window open. His long legs quietly found the floor and slipped past two sleeping forms. Then he stopped and went back, snatching the woman's earrings and jeweled necklace.

He left and entered a hallway and made his way toward the bedroom across the hall. A child's bedroom as it was pink and full of toys and small dresses. Most toys were like the ones in houses before. Most were the same stupid doll that little girls and the occasional boy seemed to like and a bunch of tea sets. Buried under a pile of extra decorative pillows thrown to the floor was a red book. The words were short and formed a few sentences before skipping a line and continuing. The boy recognized it as a poem book. He couldn't read yet but he wanted to. Back home there was an abundance of stolen books and notes he'd saved for the day he could read them. The pile was getting impressive but he was forced to leave most of them behind when he boarded a boat and rode to a new place. Well, he might as well start collecting again.

Usually there wasn't much to find in children's rooms but this time was different. He opened the closet and was suddenly attacked by an army of fluffy toys. Stuffed animals. They were soft and squishy and for once he couldn't help himself. He took every last one. There was a lot to carry so it was the only intentional treasure hunt he'd go on that night. Everything was hauled back into an old woman's home. She was dragged away by some people not too long ago leaving him alone with her blind and half deaf husband, which he had no problem with because it made hiding easier. He'd made a cozy nest in a secret room in her basement. It wasn't big enough to stand in and in was made of ice cold stone bricks but over time he planned on covering it with warm blankets and possibly keeping one of those candles down there.

He situated the stuffed animals around the sides and placed the book near the small entrance. Now for food.

"Who's there?!" He held in his surprised squeak and jumped into the nest. He forgot to be quiet and woke the man, otherwise known as Franklin Frink.

"I'm locking you in here, whoever you are!" The old man yelled and the door closed with a loud bang, a click signalling entrapment. The boy growled and hissed at the door in resentment. There were other ways out of the cellar. He crawled out of his hiding spot and eyed an old rusty crate across the black room. After being the dark for so long he could see just fine without the light. His attention was called to a piece of metal he'd accidentally kicked away from him while walking. It was a thin sheet of metal with a word scratched into it. Stolas. His name. It was the only thing he could read seeing as it was all he was ever taught. The others refused to teach him, they said it was too dangerous. What danger could he be in just from learning how to read? So many do it and only gain, never lose. He scoffed at their voices. They were just selfish. Though he could not deny that he was too. He withheld many things from man. Secrets, knowledge, treasures, even lives he held in front of them teasingly only to do away with them in the end. He knew many things and took many lives but he feared it was all for nothing. Time seemed to move on too fast and his findings were suddenly old and useless.

Shaking the thoughts from his head he pocketed the metal and slipped through a small tunnel he dug behind the crate and up into the night again. Stolas was still hungry so his next stop was someone's kitchen. Shadows moved in sync with his steps but he knew they were there. His friends, his family, a clan of mimics. They made up only few of the many in the world. In their group there was 71 excluding himself. Before he'd come along one had died, a shock considering he had previously posed no threat to anyone else. His mother scratched his name on to the metal and placed him into an offering pile for the mimic leader, shocked to find it raising the baby instead of eating it. She died from starvation not too long after, his father being murdered in an ally.

_'Memories will not fill your stomach, __imbecile.'_ One of the shadows taunted.

"I know that, Seere! If you're going to be rude you can stop following me!" There were no further comments from the black mass. Most windows and doors had been shut and locked tightly and he'd dropped the knife somewhere, though he wasn't sure when. The hunt for food was not going so well. 'I might actually have to eat a bird. Just as I was getting use to the food here!' He thought angrily. Suddenly he could smell it. Bread. He closed his eyes and followed the scent, more coming into the mixture the closer he got. Potatoes, apples, sweet roll, honey, and... cheese? Well, he just won't eat the cheese but everything else smelled amazing. He bumped into an extended piece of wood and opened his eyes.

'No.' He thought to himself. He stood before the open window of a familiar place, one he'd been avoiding. 'No, you can't. He helped you! Taking his property wouldn't be right!' Stolas was about to the leave but his stomach chose that moment to growl and burn in hunger. 'Well, it's only once...' He hopped into the room and threw a quick glance at the bed to the left. The boy that had freed him slept peacefully unaware of the intruder. On the right side of the room was a table of neatly set up foods. A note sat on the table which he look at sadly wishing he knew what it said. He searched his being for something to leave behind for the boy but found he had only one thing; his name. The metal sheet with his name would have to do for now. He left it on the table and ate an apple as he gathered the rest, not the cheese, into his arms and left for home. It took an hour to get everything through the tunnel and into the cellar and he was exhausted when he was finished.

Night slowly turned to day and he was sound asleep, dreaming of hunting in the wild with his teeth like a wolf. Memories of life at it's finest moments in the deep forest of Juntin, but those days were gone. He'd have to accept that.

* * *

><p>The next day was no better. Some people thought so considering only one person had been robbed but one mother and daughter's constant screaming and nagging about their stolen items made it Hell for Eggs. He was considered a noble now and many people went to him to complain. He was the only one who'd listen, or at least try to, didn't mean he could always help. The little girl cried about her stuffed animals and the women nagged about her jewelry. He couldn't help and eventually they left him alone. When he had woken up that morning he was delighted to see that his plan worked. The boy had finally stopped avoiding him and took the food, except Eggs's plan was to wake up and catch him, and he slept through the whole thing. At least he had a clue. A small piece of dirty steel that had <em>Stolas<em> carved crudely into it was left on the table in place of the stolen goods. He had to tell Winnie.

Amazingly enough he hadn't seen her at all lately besides at school where they couldn't talk. They were both too busy with other things to chat after and had gone quite a while without contact. This would have to change for at least a moment. Eggs went to her manor and was led inside by a new maid. She said she'd fetch Winnie while he waited by the door. It wasn't too long before the redhead came running down the stars and hugged her friend immediately.

"Eggs! It's been forever!" She smiled happily and for a minute he'd forgotten why he was there and just wanted to talk and play like they use to, but there were things to be done.

"Winnie, I think I know his name." He said as calmly as he could. She looked at him in confusion before her eyes widened in realization.

"Well, don't keep me in suspense, tell me!" She exclaimed.

"I left food out and my window open so I could maybe catch him but I fell asleep. He took the food though and left something in it's place." He took out the metal and showed it to her. "It says _Stolas_. I think it's his name. You know when I was thinking about whether I should unlock his door or not he gave me this." He pulled the string from around his neck and held up the golden gear hanging on it. "I'm pretty sure that was a deal. This for freedom."

Winnie suddenly pulled something out of a pocket on her pink dress. The small silver gear. "I almost forgot to tell you about this! He took my water and left this. I thought it was a boxtroll because it seemed a little silly, silver for water, but what if he's just leaving whatever he has with him?"

Eggs nodded, that seemed reasonable. "We have to catch him. I can't do it myself, I'll mess up in some way again. I need your help. If we work together we should be able to do it." There was a long pause.

"Okay, but if he turns out to be really dangerous I'm blaming you for whatever he does." They shook on it and sealed the deal. They were going to catch Stolas before things got out of hand.

* * *

><p>Before bed he was too tired to eat anything other than that apple, the first thing he'd eaten in a few days. The citizens assumed he'd been robbing their food when he thought it was obviously the mimics. Half the times he was looking through rooms for neat treasures while they ransacked the kitchens. So what if they left the cheese alone like he did, they were all allergic to cheese! They said the last time he had it when he was a baby he almost died, no way will he be testing that truth. He'd been woken by his stomach's growling, annoyed to see it was still day from the open cellar door and that the old man had confiscated everything he found in the basement, he even had the tunnel plugged. Stolas was in no mood. He was hungry, angry, and a life time of habits and skills were calling for use. Someone had to feed him and he was craving only one thing at the moment.<p>

* * *

><p>Winnie and Eggs stared in horror and shock at the news headline. <strong>DEMON BURGLAR STEALS FRINK'S HEART WHILE HE NAPS<strong>

Things had officially gotten out of hand.

* * *

><p>AN: DID THIS TAKE TOO LONG TO GET OUT? I'm sorry, readers D': I didn't actually know when a good time to write this out was and I've been busy. Okay so you'll definitely get a chapter once a week, most likely on the weekend, though it's not evenly planned. It's not like every Saturday or every Sunday, it might even be on a day in the middle of the week. Just one per week. If an entire week and weekend has gone by without a chapter then count me late and let the tomatoes be thrown.<p>

So trouble has started! And it's gotten bad! Oh no! Tell me what you guys think of this in the reviews! As always I welcome ANYTHING. GUYS PLEASE AT LEAST ONE MORE REVIEW *dies*


	4. Chapter 4

The curfew was back on and no parents were letting their children out of their house alone. There was fear and anxiety in all the citizens. A twisted murderer was on the loose and no one felt safe. Eggs felt he was the one to blame. He was unaware of Stolas's habits or past life, so how could he possibly think he'd be able to live normally just because he himself could. Stolas was from a different place, raised by different creatures, creatures said to be actually dangerous.

"This is horrible." He heard Winnie say next to him. She couldn't believe a child could have done it but one had. Mr. Frink's heart had cut straight out of his chest while he slept. If there was a person who didn't fear the boy before, they all did now.

"I know... I don't understand why he did it but it's clear that he's more dangerous than we thought. Maybe... maybe we shouldn't go after him by ourselves." Eggs seemed to shrink. This boy was his responsibility but it was too much for two children to handle.

"I'm going on a walk." Eggs got up from the steps of Winnie's house and made his way down the street. For some reason he couldn't think. Too open, too many eyes, too many people trying to get his attention. He instead walked into an empty street and slipped into the sewers, an old familiar place. He could navigate through the whole system with his eyes closed but he only went down there now to think and be alone. It was all the same down there except one thing. He stopped walking when he hit rocks, realizing he'd made his way to another entrance leading into the old boxtroll den. Eggs wish he could go inside but it was all destroyed. With nowhere left to go he turned around.

A sudden hiss made him pause. There was nothing around, nothing but him ad some rats but none sounding like that. It sounded like someone was whining now and whimpering. Who was doing that? Were they hurt? He sneaked to the other side of the water and along the wall until he reached a bend. Then someone was throwing up.

"_LITTLE FOOL!"_ A voice boomed and echoed through the whole underground. Eggs almost yelled in surprise but slapped a hand over his mouth and inched toward the corner in hopes to get a look.

_"HOW MANY TIMES MUST I PUNISH YOU BEFORE YOU LEARN TO KEEP THOSE STICKY LITTLE PAWS TO YOURSELF?"_ Continued to vomit into the water, panting heavily. Eggs peeked around the corner and his eyes widened. A large mass stood in his way. It was giant with black scales and feathers, a dark fog spilling from it's body. Vaguely human shaped but much more wide. It extended it's arms to whoever it made suffer and cradled it almost fondly.

_"STUPID CHILD. YOU KNOW I DO NOT ENJOY THIS BUT YOU MUST LEARN. IF YOU DO NOT LEARN THAN YOU WILL BE AS SAVAGE AS CERTAIN OTHERS AND WE BOTH KNOW THEY HAVE ONLY OBLIVION TO ANSWER TO. SLEEP NOW, MY SON."_ The mass put the being down where Eggs's couldn't see and turned to ash, blowing away in a wind he could not feel. Eggs tiptoed around to see the monster's 'son'.

A black blanket covered him all but one limb. An arm. An arm covered in scars like injuries from clawed fingers and a hands with sharp nails. Now though, the nails had dried blood under them and the hands were slightly stained with red. Eggs walked over to the panting form. He cleared his throat as to alert his presence and gain the attention of the other but all it did was make him curl up a little. He was too weak to do it more, unable to even pull his arm in for protection. Eggs frowned. He put his hand on the other's and they started to calm a little.

"You... Are you Stolas?" Eggs asked hopefully. The boy nodded weakly. There was a distant feeling of fear but it was crushed when he looked at the boy again. 'This boy can't hurt anyone right now, he can barely move!' he told himself. Eggs adjusted himself so he was leaning against the wall. Not knowing what had gotten into him to be so calm he drifted to sleep.

* * *

><p>AN: Soooo... my laptop broke. Currently using my sister's and decided instead of just leaving a message saying that I'd just pull out a small chapter because I'm really feeling like two people occasionally read this. Seriously does anyone care if I keep doing this? It's meant to be pretty messed up for Stolas so he's not a happy character at all. Also with the mimic making him sick he kinda sounds like a Dremora Lord. Seriously love their voices so I thought the more serious mimic would have one of those. And yes they are always LOUD when not speaking into your mind so imagine accidental yelling.<p>

Don't know when I'll be back on soooooo yeah... until next time o3o


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